TEWKSBURY — A gray sky cast over the Tewksbury 9-11 Memorial Tuesday, the day before the 18th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. While the memorial was quiet, the internet buzzed with news of canceled peace talks with Afghan leaders.

President Donald Trump tweeted Saturday that he called off “secret” peace meetings with Taliban leaders and President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan at Camp David in Maryland the following day. He cited an attack in Kabul that killed an American solider as his reason for withdrawing from the negotiations.

Trump promised to end America’s longest war by the 2020 presidential election, NBC reported. But his Saturday tweets suggest otherwise.

“Unbeknownst to almost everyone, the major Taliban leaders and, separately, the President of Afghanistan, were going to secretly meet with me at Camp David on Sunday. They were coming to the United States tonight. Unfortunately, in order to build false leverage, they admitted to.. ….an attack in Kabul that killed one of our great great soldiers, and 11 other people. I immediately cancelled the meeting and called off peace negotiations. What kind of people would kill so many in order to seemingly strengthen their bargaining position? They didn’t, they…. ….only made it worse! If they cannot agree to a ceasefire during these very important peace talks, and would even kill 12 innocent people, then they probably don’t have the power to negotiate a meaningful agreement anyway. How many more decades are they willing to fight?” Trump tweeted Saturday.

Unbeknownst to almost everyone, the major Taliban leaders and, separately, the President of Afghanistan, were going to secretly meet with me at Camp David on Sunday. They were coming to the United States tonight. Unfortunately, in order to build false leverage, they admitted to..

How will Trump’s tweets impact relations with Afghanistan? Jarrod Hayes, an associate professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, said he doesn’t expect much to change.

“It (a peace negotiation) wasn’t going to move the needle very much,” Hayes said. “It would look like Trump ended the conflict,” he said. But even had peace negotiations taken place, Hayes expects that the Taliban would have continued to oppose Afghan government, and some United States troops would remain in the country for counter-terrorism efforts.

Around noon on Tuesday, Trump announced via tweet that he requested former National Security Adviser John Bolton resign. “I informed John Bolton last night that his services are no longer needed at the White House,” Trump tweeted. “I disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions, as did others in the Administration, and therefore…. ….I asked John for his resignation, which was given to me this morning.”

Bolton expressed that he did not support Trump’s decision to host Taliban leaders at Camp David, CNN reported.

I informed John Bolton last night that his services are no longer needed at the White House. I disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions, as did others in the Administration, and therefore….

“There shouldn’t be any peace talk with the Taliban,” said Valetine Fon, a Tewksbury resident, as he passed by the 9-11 monument Tuesday. He doesn’t think the Taliban should be reasoned with.

Jay Richard, another Tewksbury resident, called Trump’s decision to invite Taliban leaders to Camp David the week before September 11 “poor judgement.”

“Any way to end war is good, but you have to be knowledgeable of the people you’re dealing with, and I’m not sure he (Trump) is,” Richard said as he left the Tewksbury Public Library, just outside the memorial.

Nicole DeFeudis covers early morning news and general assignment stories. She graduated from UMass Amherst in May 2019, where she studied journalism and information technology. The Worcester native enjoys road trips and hiking.